This is a vegan recipe for dan dan noodles you won’t be able to stop eating! Chopped mushrooms replace the ground meat and bring earthiness to this spicy, nutty and tangy noodle dish. It’s yummy!
Certain dishes are just better without meat. Even ones that traditionally use meat such as the classic Chinese dan dan noodles.
Using mushrooms instead of ground pork impart so much earthiness and umami to the dish, making it almost impossible to stop eating! The noodles and mushrooms are tossed in a sauce packed with spicy, pungent, nutty, and sour flavors. It’s one of my favorite noodle recipes of all time.
I think you will absolutely love these vegan dan dan noodles once you try them!
What Are Dan Dan Noodles?
Traditional Chinese dan dan noodles (担担面) are a mixture of chili oil, ground meat, sauce, leafy greens and noodles. And, while there are many versions of this dish, the one overarching similarity between them is that they’re usually quite spicy!
Many recipes will call for the use of Sichuan peppercorns. Those are the face numbing peppercorns you’ll also frequently find in recipes like mapo tofu. Well, it’s gotta be said that I’m not a big fan of the mouth numbing qualities of those peppercorns. For me they tend to hijack all other flavors.
So I left them out of this mushroom dan dan recipe—but if you like spicy noodles then go ahead and add them!
Also, traditional Sichuan dan dan mien can be served dry or in more soup-like preparations. However, for this vegan version, I’m keeping it a simplified version of vegan dan-dan noodles recipe that is more on the dry side of things. You’re absolutely gonna LOVE how easy it is to whip up at home!
Vegan Dan Dan Noodles Ingredients
- Noodles: You can use any type of thin wheat noodles, fresh wheat noodles, or egg noodles for this dish such as thin spaghetti or lo mein noodles.
- Oil: Peanut oil adds a nutty flavor to the dish, but since we are already using peanut butter to impart that flavor, you can use any neutral oil such as vegetable or grapeseed oil as well.
- Celery: I love the crunch of the celery in this dish! They also add a refreshing element.
- Mushrooms: Button white mushrooms is what I recommend using since they mimic the texture of ground pork. But feel free to use any type of mushrooms.
- Baby Spinach: Baby spinach makes the dish bright and colorful and add another element of freshness.
- Scallions: Have you ever eaten an Asian dish that doesn’t include scallions? Me neither. Scallions add sweetness, a mild bitterness, and a lovely crunch.
- Dan Dan Sauce A mixture of minced garlic, minced ginger, rice vinegar, chili oil, soy sauce, peanut butter, sugar, and salt.
Great Alternative Ingredients
These ingredients can also be used to as substitutes:
- Shiitake mushrooms
- Chinese sesame paste
- Black vinegar
- Chilli oil
- Brown sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Olive oil
- White pepper
- Coconut Sugar
- Chilli flakes (especially if you’re a fan of spicy food)
How to Make Dan Dan Noodles
- Gather all of your ingredients and cooking tools.
- Start by filling a pot with water and bringing it to boil. Cook the noodles according to the directions on the package. Drain the noodles, rinse them under cold water, and drain well.
- Transfer the noodles to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Add the oil, chopped mushrooms, and celery, to a pan over medium heat, and stir fry the mixture until the mushrooms are tender, almost caramelized (8-10 minutes).
- Meanwhile, make the dan dan sauce by add all the ingredients in a blender and blending until smooth.
- Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss until the noodles are evenly coated. Season with salt if needed.
- Add the mushroom mixture to the noodles and toss well.
- Add the spinach and scallions and toss well. Enjoy!
Adding the baby spinach last makes the leaves wilt just enough that they don’t get soggy or watery. Noodles, celery, mushrooms, and spinach are tossed in this nutty, spicy, sour, sweet, and salty sauce to create one amazing vegan dan dan noodle dish.
What does Dan Dan Mean in Chinese?
Dan dan noodles got their name from the pole that traditional Chinese noodle sellers used to carry when hawking their yummy wares to a hungry populace—specifically rooted in Sichuan province of China. A dan dan was a carrying pole that had a container at each end. One was a basket of noodles and the other was a container of sauce. The noodle sellers would hike the pole onto a shoulder—balancing the containers on each end. When someone ordered noodles, they’d serve them up and then move on down the road.
Well, it’s not uncommon in food history that the name of a dish is set by the populace that savors it. Sure, pole-carried noodles don’t have much of a ring to it… But dan dan noodles sounds just right!
What to Serve Dan Dan Noodles with
You can serve these vegan dan dan noodles as a main or a side dish. Since they are quite flavorful, I recommend pairing them with milder dishes that won’t overwhelm the palate. Some of my favorites are:
Dishes to pair with vegan dan dan noodles
Did you like this Vegan Dan Dan Noodles Recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
Other Delicious Easy Vegan Recipes You Might Enjoy
Vegan Dan Dan Noodles
Chopped mushrooms replace the ground meat and bring earthiness to this spicy, nutty and tangy noodle dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Total Time: 19 minutes
- Yield: 4 people 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: N/A
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 8 ounces thin spaghetti such as Barilla or De Cecco, which are both vegan
- 1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
- 2 stalks celery (finely chopped)
- 9 ounces white button mushrooms (finely chopped)
- handful baby spinach
- 2 stalks scallions (finely chopped)
Dan dan sauce
- 2 small cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon ginger (minced)
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chili oil (use less if you are sensitive to hot dishes)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons natural peanut butter
- 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- salt
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to boil. Add spaghetti and cook for 8-9 minutes, until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water, drain again and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- In a pan over medium heat, add peanut oil, celery and mushrooms and cook for 8-10 minutes, until mushrooms are beginning to turn a golden brown color. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Put all the ingredients for the dan dan sauce in a blender and blend until smooth. Add sauce to the spaghetti and toss until the noodles are evenly coated. Season with salt until you are satisfied with the taste.
- Add mushroom mix, spinach and scallions to the noodles and toss well. Serve.
Notes
These noodles taste their best when made fresh but are still delicious cold (after being refrigerated the next day). You can also quickly zap them in the microwave for a few seconds to warm them up.
Store the dan dan noodles in an airtight storage container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 406
- Sugar: 7.1g
- Sodium: 409.3mg
- Fat: 16.g
- Saturated Fat: 2.7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50.5g
- Fiber: 5.7g
- Protein: 10.8g
- Cholesterol: 1.8mg
Keywords: recipe, noodles, Asian, vegetarian, plant based
I have made this twice this week. So simple, satisfying, tasty. It will be a constant in my rotation from now on. Thank you!
Thank you so much Addie!! 🙂
I LOVE the sauce for this recipe! It’s so easy and packs a real punch.
★★★★★
Love this recipe, it is soooo yummy! Do you think you could replace the spaghetti with zucchini noodles?
Hi Laura! Yes, I think it would be delicious with zucchini noodles as well. Maybe use less sauce at first so the noodles aren’t weighed down too much by it 🙂
DELICIOUS, EASY AND VEGAN!
★★★★★
A small query, my family likes saucy noodles. how should I change ther recipe so its not dry?
Hi Neeraja! The noodles are actually quite saucy but if you would like them to be even, you can double the sauce (but go easy on the garlic. I wouldn’t add more than the first two cloves) and that should be good 🙂
This is one of our new favorites! The first time, I followed the recipe as written. The second time, I added more mushrooms and used baby broccoli and peas and skipped the celery. So delicious! Thank you for sharing@
Thank you Sheree! 🙂
So tasty, will make this recipe again! Love the the little kick of heat with the chili oil!
★★★★★
STUPENDOUS! This recipe is bookmarked as a favorite. It’s perfect as is, and also great modified with less sugar, salt, or oil. Sometimes we add broccoli and/or edamame to bulk it up with more veg. It’s always amazing. THANK YOU!
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Thank you so much for sharing this Mark, you just made my day !
Wow it’s delish! I made it with bunch of weird wild mushrooms and it came out amazing!
These noodles are so yummy! They taste like something you would eat at a restaurant, yet they’re so easy to make. I used rice noodles and left out the chili oil and ginger in the sauce, but it was still really great. Thank you for the recipe! I will definitely be making it again.
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Thank you so much Mimi! 🙂
Delicious! We ended up eating this cold and it was so tasty! Thank you for a great recipe
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Wonderful Charlotte, thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
She’s not lying, this recipe is spectacular. Super easy and absolutely delicious! Thanks for the amazing recipe!
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Thank you so much Gabi!
Tastes absolutely amazing, and easy to make for someone like me who usually hates cooking!
★★★★★
This recipe is a huge hit in our house! I only use 1 tablespoon of chili oil otherwise ours lips burn off. The recipe states it served 4 people but we (2 people) usually finish the whole dish as it is so delious. I reduce the sugar & salt as well without noticing a real difference. We like to double the garlic as well. All I can say is YUM!
★★★★★
Great recipe – thank you! We made this with only 1 tsp sugar, no added salt, and 1/3 of the oil recommended and it was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!
Thank you Mark! 🙂
I used aminos instead of soy sauce and didn’t add any extra salt to the recipe and it turned out soooo salty.. don’t know why!
That’s so strange Kay, I’m so sorry! I’ve made this so many times and never had trouble with the salt level. Did you salt the pasta water?
Cant wait to try this. I see people substituting for the chili oil. Do you think sambal oeleck would be ok or should I do sriracha?
Hi Susan, sambal oelek would be okay but in case you are not super familiar with it, it’s extremely spicy! I would say use with caution, start with 1 tablespoon and go from there 🙂
Sriracha would also be good although I think sambal would add some really nice southeast Asian flavors to the noodles, making them more pungent 🙂
I halved the sugar and used a bit of sirracha in place of the chilli oil and we loved this recipe! Thanks so much!
I never leave comments on recipe blogs but this is just so good I have to thank you! The sauce is so flavorful! I was a little skeptical because I don’t like typical Thai peanut sauces, but this is a totally different flavor. I didn’t have chile oil so I substituted chili garlic sauce (just added an extra tablespoon). This far exceeded my expectations, so tasty and also quick and easy! This will definitely go on my regular rotation 🙂 Thanks again for sharing this!
Thank you so much Tess for leaving such a nice comment! You put a big smile on my face 🙂
I tried this and really liked it – I will certainly make it again! My pictures of it are here: https://tmifood.wordpress.com/2017/07/12/vegan-dan-dan-noodles/
Looks great! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi again, Caroline! Writing this after dinner. The noodle dish was a big hit! I used almond butter and the sauce turned out great. Thanks so much for getting back with me promptly because I was hot to try the dish right away!
I’ve been browsing around your website and I am so impressed by your work! I have a little blog of my own where I will be featuring your recipe next week (without reprinting) and linking to your site 🙂 I will send you a link when it goes live!
I am blown away by your photography…it’s so good! Do you shoot your own images? Have you posted about what equipment you use? Just enviable 🙂
So glad I found your site. I am inspired to raise the bar on my own!
Thanks again!
Melanie
★★★★★
I desperately want to try this recipe but my husband hates peanut butter sauces. Do you think it will work with tahini of almond butter instead?
Hi Melanie,
My husband also hates peanut sauces (with a capital H) but loves this recipe! If yours hates the cloyingly sweet peanut sauces used for dipping skewers (like in Indonesian cooking) or for summer rolls (Thai cooking) but loves peanut butter on toast, then you are fine with this recipe since this sauce is completely different and not sweet. This peanut sauce is spicy, acidic and savory and has lots of umami from the soy sauce. If he simply hates peanut butter then you could swap 1 or 2 tablespoons of the peanut butter for almond butter or tahini. Let me know how it turns out!
Delicious karyl,thank you for sharing
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I’m not even remotely vegan, but damn this looks delicious! Will have to try it out
I made these noodles for lunch and they turned out delicious! I didn’t have chili oil, so I used some chili garlic sauce instead. My mushrooms were also iffy, so I used Beyond Beef crumbles in place of them. Overall, good recipe. Thanks for sharing!
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Just made this for dinner. Halved the recipe and it turned out perfect.. YUM! Will definitely make this again!
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Thank you Jen! 🙂
Delicious!
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Thank you Michelle!
I really want to try this tonight, but I forgot to buy mushrooms! 🙁 Could I substitute anything?
Hi Sarah,
This happens to me all the time, go the grocery store and get everything but one ingredient! It’s become sort of a joke in my house, my husband asking me, as soon as I get back from shopping, if he needs to go to the store to get the missing ingredient, ha! If you’re not vegetarian, I would suggest substituting with a protein like ground chicken or beef. Or if you have vegan ground meat that would also work. Otherwise, dicing up a bunch of veggies might also work. 🙂
I just made this too and we loved it! Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Thank you!
Can’t wait to make this it looks amazing! Quick question is it necessary to mince the garlic and ginger if they’re going into the blender anyway?
Hi Xyz!
I prefer to do it because the ginger can sometimes come out stringy if it’s throw into the blender in chunks. But that’s up to you, if you haven’t had any bad experiences you can totally do it your way!
I just cooked this dish…It came out just like the picture and it taste as good as it looks..my family loves it
Wonderful! So glad it did and that your whole family enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing!
Love this veganized take!!! It looks and sounds fantastic!
Thank you Rebecca! I hope you like it, we LOVE this dish!
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I LOVE sichuan food and am all about that numbing spice 🙂 I’m so excited to find a veg version of this dish – totally checking out the test of your site ASAP too. 🙂
I was wondering, if one DID wish to add the sichuan peppercorn, how much and at what step would you do so?
Thanks so much!
Hi Rowan, I would suggest soaking about 1 or 2 teaspoons in warm water for about 30 minutes soften them, and add them together with the tofu 🙂